Blog

Vacation Property Maintenance & Safety

Just like with your regular home, vacation property maintenance and safety should be a high priority. It’s very important that you know the house inside and out and can deal with whatever problems might come up. Since vacation homes are often in less populated, and sometimes completely out of the way places, you might be some distance away from emergency services. It’s important to empower yourself to deal with emergency situations should they occur.

Familiarize yourself with all the workings of the home and property. Make sure you know where the electrical panel is located; know how to turn the water on and off; if you have a chimney make sure you know when it was last inspected, etc.

Always have working smoke and CO detectors in the building and make sure they’re installed right at sleeping areas. Keep in mind that since the power can be knocked out more often than in city properties, the detectors should be battery powered.

Make sure you have a fire extinguisher on every floor of the house (or even more if it’s particularly large). Keep one in or near the kitchen and if you have a wood burning fireplace it’s a good idea to keep one nearby.

Consider hiring someone who can come and check on the property during periods where it’s sitting empty. A regular handyman or groundskeeper can make sure everything is in order, and you can also hire them to cut the grass, remove snow, bring in the mail, or anything else required so the property looks well cared for and lived in.

Have a list of local repair companies at the ready in case of things like burst pipes or electrical issues. It’s worth it to invest a couple of hours researching local companies so that you’re good to go when something happens. And keep the list posted in the property in an easy-to-find spot in case something happens while renters are in the home.

If you have a septic tank and a well, make sure the holding tank is maintained regularly and have your well water tested at the same time.

Invest in secure windows and doors and keep any valuables out of the line of site from windows. And when the property is unattended close the window treatments so people can’t see inside.

Consider investing in a home monitoring system that you can access remotely.

Consider a keyless entry system to make things easier in the case of an emergency (or just for renters).

Every Spring and Fall make sure to perform general maintenance tasks in and around the property.

Remove leaves and debris from gutters and downspouts.

Pressure-wash wood siding to prevent mold.

Check window and door sills for leaks and caulk where necessary.

Check the foundation.

Inspect the condition of the roof.

Trim trees around the property to make sure branches are at least 2ft away from the structure.

Disclaimer: Please note that scottmcgillivray.com participates in select affiliate advertising programs. This means that if you click and/or make a purchase through certain links on this site scottmcgillivray.com may make a commission from that click and/or purchase.

Newsletter

To sign up for my FREE newsletter please enter your name, email and press 'submit' when done.You may unsubscribe at any time.